Tacking mechanism for buttonhole sewing machines



June 20, 1933. J. KIEWICZ 1,914,605-

TACKING MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 14, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 20, 1933. J. KIEWICZ 1,914,605.

' TACKING MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 14, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenTor. \JoHn Kiewicg June 2%, 1933.. J. KEEWIQZ fi TACKING MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 14, 1930 3 SheetsShee't 5 F1 gm lnvenToT. \John K ievvicg byWJ eEW/M Awysy.

Patented June 20, 1933 STATES PAEN'EF JOHN'KIEWICZ, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOB '30 BEECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, GF BOSTQN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE TACKING MECHANISIE FOR BUTTONEEOLE SEWING MACHINES Original application filed. August 14, 1930, Serial No. 475,197. Divided and this application filed December This invention relates to sewing machines of the type known to the trade as .tackers, that is, sewing machines that are adapted to sew a tack or a stay seam at the ends of buttonholes at the corners of pockets, or at the ends of openings in clothing and in similar places where a reinforcement seam is desirable.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine of this type which is constructed wlth novel means for condensing the fabric or closing the sides of the opening together before the stay seam or tack is sewed so that the sewing of the tack will be accomplished with the sides of the opening closed together rather than with the sides of the opening somewhat spread.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the means for thus closing together the sides of the opening is actuated in connection with the means for starting the stitch-forming mechanism in operation so that when the stitching is started the sides of the opening will be automatically closed together.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a sewing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the work clamp showing the manner in which it actuated to close together the sides of the opening;

Fig. 5 Fig. 1.

The sewing machine herein shown is similar to that illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 475,197, filed August let, 1930., of which this application is a division. Said sewing machine has a main frame 1 which is provided with an overhanging arm 2 which supports the usual vertically-reciprocating needle bar 3 carrying the needle 4c. Said frame is also formed is a section on the line 55 of Serial No. 649,679.

with the work-supporting arm 5 on which the work-holding means is carried.

The stitcl1forming mechanism comprises the needle 4 and an oscillatory hook or simi lar device (not shown) which is situated beneath the work-supporting arm 5 and is located within a suitable housing 6.

The stitch-forming mechanism is actuated from a driving shaft 7. This shaft 7 is geared by suitable gearing 8 to a horizontal shaft 9 from which the needle bar 3 receives its vertical reciprocation through any suitable or usual mechanism. This shaft 9 is also connected by a crank and link connection 10 to an oscillating shaft 11 which extends beneath the work-supporting arm 5 and by which the hook derives its oscillation, this being the usual practice in sewing machines of this type.

The work-holding means comprises a work-supporting plate 12 on which the work rests and a pair of clamping feet 13 and 31 which operate to clamp the work against the plate. The clamping plate and the clamping feet are carried by the U-shaped frame 14, the clamping plate 12 being carried by the lower arm of said frame and the clamping feet 13 by the upper arm thereof. This U-shaped frame 1% is mounted on the work-supporting arm 5 and is adapted to have movement in two different directions on said arm.

The usual operation of making a tack or stay seam involves shifting the work-holding means back and forth in one direction in timed relation with the movement of the needle to form a series of long underlying stitches and then vibrating the work-holding means in another direction also in timed relation with the movement of the needle to produce a series of short overlying stitches. To provide for this the frame 14 is formed with an extension 15 having a slot 16 therein in which is received a bolt or stud 17 that constitutes a pivot for the frame 14. This allows not only an oscillating swinging of the frame about the pivot 17 to provide for the formation of the long underlying stitching but also allows a vibrating movement of the frame in the direction of the length of the arm 5 to provide for the formation of the short overlying stitches.

The mechanism for giving the frame 14 its two movements is similar to that shown in my above-mentioned application and it comprises a combined long stitch and feed cam member 18 mounted on a cam shaft 19 and which operates through suitable connections including a lever 20 and link 21 for vibrating the frame 14 about its pivot 17 and also includes a short stitch cam 22 also mounted on the shaft 19 and suitable connections including a link 23 connected to a stud 24 secured to the lower leg of the frame 14 and operating in a slot in the bed 5 for vibrating the frame 14 in the direction of the length of the arm 5.

Inasmuch as the particular means for giving movement to the frame 14 does not form part of the present invention but is claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 475,197 I have not thought it necessary to further illustrate said mechanism.

The clamping feet 13 and 31 are carried by posts or pins 26 and 27 which are mounted in a bearing member 28 carried on the end of the upper arm 29 of the U-shaped frame 14. These posts are acted on by springs 30 and 32 which urge the posts and the clamping feet 13 and 31 downwardly into clamping engagement with the work 33. The clamping feet 13 and 31 are raised by means of a lever 34 pivoted at 35 to the overhanging arm and connected at its front end to a' plate 36 through which the posts 26 and 27 extend, said posts having pins 37 and 38 extending therethrough immediately above the plate 36. The lever 34 is connected to the plate through a connection 39 so that when the left hand end of the lever'34 is depressed in some suitable way as by means of a treadle the clamping feet will be raised.

The clamping feet 13 and 31 are mounted for movement toward and from each other and as herein shown the clamping foot 31 is constructed to be swung toward and from the other clamping foot. The post or pin 27 on which the clamping foot 31 is mounted constitutes a pivot about which said foot may swing toward and from the other foot 13 and the spring 32 and pin 38 are so de signed that the tension of the spring tends normally to hold the clamping member 31 in its open position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

40 represents a stop arm carried by the clamping member 13 and which extends across the member 31 and is provided with a lip 41 which serves to limit the opening movement of the clamps.

According to the present invention means are provided for closing the two clamping feet 13 and 31 together after they have been lowered onto the work 33 but before the stitching operation is begun, such closing movement serving to condense the work 33 and to close up the buttonhole slit or other opening to which the part or stay seam is to be applied.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention this closing of the clamps toward each other is accomplished by means which are actuated by the devices for setting the stitch-forming mechanism in operation.

I have stated above that the stitch-forming mechanism is actuated from the driving shaft 7. This shaft is driven from a driving pulley 42 which is clutched to the shaft 7 through a suitable clutch mechanism that is actuated by a clutch cone 43 slidably mounted on the driving shaft 7. This clutch cone is actuated by a clutch-actuating rod 44 which is movable in the direction of its length and which has fast thereon an arm 45 provided with a forked end which engages in a groove 46 in the clutch cone 43. The clutch-actuating rod 44 is normally held in its retracted position through the medium of a spring 47 and the clutch is thrown into engagement to start the stitchforming mechanism by moving the rod 44 to the left Fig. 5. This clutch-engaging movement of the arm 44 is accomplished through the medium of an elbow lever 48 pivotedto the frame at 49 and one arm 50 of which is adapted to engage the end of the clutch-actuating rod 44 and the other arm 51 of which has a connection 52 leading to a treadle or other suitable device by which the elbow lever may be actuated.

The starting of the stitch-forming mechanism, therefore, is secured by applying a downward force to the link 52 which actuates the elbow lever 48 thereby to move the clutch-actuating rod to the left, Fig. 5.

In the construction herein shown means are provided whereby when this elbow lever 48 is thus actuated to clutch the pulley 42 to the driving shaft 7 the clamping foot 31 will at the same time be given a swinging movement toward the clamping foot 13 or from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4. For this purpose the workclamping frame 14 is provided with a rock shaft 53 which is journalled in suitable bearings 54 carried by the arm and one end 55 of which is bent downwardly into a position to engage the side of the clamping foot 31. This rock shaft 53 has an arm 56 fast thereto which is connected by a laterally-extending link 57 with an arm 58 that is rigid with the elbow lever 48. The movement of the elbow lever 48 required to clutch the pulley 42 to the shaft 7 will operate through the arm 58 and link 57 and arm 56 to turn the rock shaft 53 in a direction to cause the end 55 thereof to swing toward the clampfoot 13, such movement operating to swing the clamping foot 31 from its open to its closed position with relation to the clamping foot 13.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a portion of a piece of work 33 having a stitched buttonhole 59 formed therein, the work 33 be ing shown in the position it would be placed to have a tack or bar formed at the end of the buttonhole.

In Fig. 3 the buttonhole is shown as slightly open or spread and when the clutch is actuated to start the stitch-forming mechanism the clamping foot 31 will be swung toward the clamping foot 13 as shown in Fig. 4 thereby closing up the buttonhole slit so that the tack will be formed while the buttonhole slit is closed. The clamping feet 13 and 31 are shown as provided with a sewing opening 60 through which the needle operates in forming the tack or stay seam.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, of workholding means including two normallyspread work-clamping members, one of which is mounted to turn about a vertical axis toward and from the other, a clutch by which the stitch-forming mechanism is actuated, clutch-operating means, and means actuated by the clutch-operating means to swing the pivoted work clamp toward the other work clamp.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, of work holding means including two Work-clamping members, one of which is mounted to turn about a vertical axis toward the other member, a clutch for driving the stitch-forming mechanism, clutch-operating means, a rock shaft having an arm engaging the pivoted clamping member, and means to actuate said rock shaft when the clutch is thrown into engagement to close the clamping members together.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, of a clutch for actuating said stitch-forming mecha nism, a clutch-operating lever, work-holding means including two work-clamping members, one of which is mounted to turnabout a vertical axis, a rock shaft having an arm engaging said pivoted work-clamping member, and means connecting said rock shaft with the clutch-operating lever, whereby when the latter is operated to throw the clutch into engagement the work-clamping members will be closed together.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, for work holding means comprising a goose neck frame, a pair of work-clamping members carried by said frame, one of said members being pivotally mounted to swing toward and from the other member about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the work, a spring normally holding said members separated, a rock shaft carried by said frame and having an arm engaging the pivoted In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN KIEWICZ.

GERTIFEGATE 6F CGRRECTION.

Patent N0. l,914,605. June 20, 1933.

JOHN KIEWEGZ.

It hereby certified that error appears in the printed speeificatienof the above numbered patent requiring cerrectien as fellows: Page 3, line 56, claim 4, for "for" read "0?"; and that the said Letters Patent sheuld be read With this eerreetien therein that the same may conform to the recerd of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed (his 22nd day at August A. D. 1933.

M. L Moore (Seai) Aeting Commissiener 0f Patents 

